Monday, October 13, 2014

el precioso don de la vida eterna

October 13, 2014

Hna Latham and Hna Wadsworth in Osorno for Melanie's Visa

¡Hola!

Logistics stuff...still can't send pictures. My memory card hates me. I think I'm going to give it to the elders again to see if they can fix it. I want to send you pictures of what's going on! But I also sent Hna. Wadsworth's mom's email address, so maybe you can get some pictures from her. Can you check my Facebook and see what Carrie Moll and Laura McCranie are up to? Do you want the purple and black coat, or can I give it to the mission home? I have a white blouse still. Starburst, cheese crackers...can you send some Crystal Light packets or other kind of powdered lemonade in individual? I would love that for the summer. Other than that I can't think of anything. I wrote to Abby to ask her about a flash drive with Christmas music on it. Oh, one more thing...Hermana Wadsworth and I will be together for Thanksgiving and she thought it would be fun to make cornbread dressing. Would you send me the recipe?

So it has been a great week. :) The bad news is that I have had a cold all week and used approximately a million tissues. And also after a year in Chile, I finally got bit by a dog. But don't worry about it, he didn't hurt me. His teeth didn't even make marks on my tights. We were just being followed closely by little persistent dogs and they nipped at us a little bit.

We had our interviews with President Obeso this week. He is such a loving person. He thanked me for everything that I am doing as a missionary, and especially for taking the emergency assignment. He told me that thanks to the transfer, both of the sisters that were affected are happier. He wanted me to remember that I am a good missionary and that the Lord is pleased with what I am doing. It was so great to talk with him. It has really been such a blessing for me to be able to have two different mission presidents. I have learned so much from each one of them! And you heard right, he told us that Elder Russell M. Nelson is coming to our mission on November 12! I can't believe that I have the blessing of seeing two different apostles on my mission. President Obeso asked me to play the piano when Elder Nelson comes. So that is pretty nervewracking. But we are so excited for him to come!

It has been such a fun week with Hermana Wadsworth! I really just love teaching, and it is especially wonderful to teach someone everything about being a missionary. I love being a missionary so much, and I feel so happy to have the chance to share what I have learned with someone! She is so great. She is focused and hardworking, and has an incredible memory. She is working so hard to be a better missionary every day, and I love her drive and her testimony of this gospel. She wants to learn Spanish so much! It's fun that both of us are new to the area, because that way we can make what we want of the missionary work here. We are working hard to help our investigators understand our purpose and keep their commitments. We have met so many new investigators and contacts this week, and after weekly planning we just felt so excited for what we are going to be able to do here as we serve together. It is definitely a big responsibility to be a trainer. I have to remember a lot more things, I have to give more of the lessons until Hermana Wadsworth feels more confident in Spanish, I have to make a lot more decisions. But I feel every day that the Lord teaches me how I should do this. Rather than feeling weaker, I have felt so up to the challenge. I can feel Him helping me to remember things, teaching me how to serve, and showing me how to love my companion and all the people around me. I love this so much.

A zone activity where we made Sopapillas

This week I have been reading in Helaman (finally finished Alma!). I love Helaman so much. It is such a powerful part of the Book of Mormon, showing us how to really focus on our Savior and seek Him. But the phrase that really stood out to me this week was "el precioso don de la vida eterna," or "the precious gift of eternal life." I loved Elder Scott's talk because he explained to us the tools that we need to get from here to eternal life. These are the tools that we invite our investigators and less actives to use every day, and I know that they are so important! I KNOW that they are the steps that bless our lives! If we pray, read the scriptures, have Family Home Evening, and go to the temple, we will feel His presence in our lives. I think that one of the most important things that I have learned on the mission is how to organize my priorities. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, more important in life than our relationship with our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ. They love us and they want to bring us safely home to them, to participate of the precious gift of eternal life. It is so easy in life for us to get lost in our daily activities and not make time for Him. Hermana Wadsworth and I have talked a lot about that this week. A lot of our investigators tell us that they don't have time to go to church, or to pray. But what they are missing is that it is so essential to pray. It is necessary to go to church. We need the direction of God in our lives! When I come home from this mission, all I want to do is live my life in such a way that I can feel His guide and His love.

So as of Wednesday I have been in Chile for a year. We are here in Osorno for P-day because we had to come here to renew my visa! How crazy is that? I can't believe how fast this mission is going by. We went to the mall today and it was weird for me to go to a place that reminded me of the United States. I also felt like I was breaking a rule of some kind for being in the mall and not in the street contacting. hahaha....it will be really interesting the whole adjustment process when I come home and become a normal person again. But since I have a short time left, I just want to give this everything that I have. I just want to serve with all of my heart.